Battle of Millstatt

The Battle of Millstatt (early April 1797) was a battle of the French Revolutionary Wars that saw the 1,407-strong Holy Roman army of general Jozsef Alvinczi be defeated in a decisive battle against Napoleon Bonaparte's 1,126-strong French army near the woodlands of Millstatt in the Austrian state of Carinthia. The Austrians had the advantage of having a larger army, better soldiers, and being positioned on the high ground, but their attacks against the French forces faltered. The Austrians succeeded in breaking up several units on the French right flank, including wiping out their artillery and routing several regiments, but Napoleon led a spirited charge of cavalry and infantry against the Austrian forces after the main Austrian thrusts had been repulsed. The French artillery on the left flank held their own by virtue of their ability to fire grapeshot, taking on two Austrian regiments as the majority of the French troops fixed bayonets and charged into battle with the Austrian attackers on the right flank. Napoleon himself was wounded, and the French suffered heavy losses. However, the French managed to take the field that day, routing Alvinczi's army. A direct result of the victory was the capture of Klagenfurt in late April.